Kidar Sharma dead

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From INDIAN EXPRESS

Friday, April 30, 1999

Film maker Kidar Sharma dead

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, APRIL 29: Film producer-director-writer and
poet Kidar Sharma passed away today after a brief illness
at P D Hinduja Hospital. He was 90 and is survived by two
sons and a daughter.

Sharma was to receive the Raj Kapoor Award on Friday
at a function organised by the state government at the
Shanmkhananda Hall. He was credited with discovering
Raj Kapoor, besides other yesteryear stars like
Madhubala, Gita Bali, Bharat Bhushan, Mehtab, Mala
Sinha and many others.

Some of the Bollywood films he was part of, in one or
more respects are, Devdas, Sapera, Baere Nain,
Chitralekhs, Gauri, Humaree Yaad Ayegee, Vishkanya
and Bheegee Palkeen. He had directed several films for
the Children's Aid Society. His first film for the society,
Jaldeep, won the Venice Film Festival Award. Sharma's
films for Doordarshan include Aise Bhi Log Hote Hain and
Hum Honge Kamyab.

Sharma worked for Ranjit Studios and with some of
Bollywood's bigwigs like Prithviraj Kapoor and Motilal. He
was part of a delegation to Hollywood, where he met Walt
Disney, Cecil DeMille and Gabriel Pacal.

Sharma has penned most of the songs sung by K L Saigal
and the one the actress Madhubala requested him to
dedicate to her on her death -- Radha Ko Na Tarsa
Shyam Puchtayega.

Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay)
Ltd.

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http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/apr/29kidar.htm

Filmmaker Kidar Sharma dies at 90

Veteran Hindi filmmaker Kidar Sharma died today at 90 after a brief illness.

He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

The end came at 1300 hours IST at Hinduja Hospital in Bombay where he was
admitted two days ago.

Ironically, Sharma was to receive the Maharashtra government's Raj Kapoor Award
at a function at Bombay's Shanmukhananda Hall tomorrow. Ironic, because it was
he who had discovered Raj Kapoor, besides other stars of yesteryear like
Madhubala, Gita Bali, Bharat Bhushan, Mehtab, and Mala Sinha.

Among his many films are Devdas, Vidyapati, Chitralekha, Neel Kamal, Suhaag
Raat, Jogan, Bawre Nain, Pyaase Nain, Zindagi, Crorepati, Anaath Ashram,
Vishkanya, Mumtaz Mahal, Bhanwara, and Bheegi Palkein.

Sharma also published a book of poetry, titled Panchhee, a copy of which was
autographed by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

The success of Chitralekha led the late Chandulal Shah of Ranjit Studios to
invite Sharma to Bombay in 1941 to make films for him.

Sharma wrote and directed movies for Shah with some of the biggest stars of the
time, like Motilal and Shamim in Armaan and Prithviraj Kapoor in Vishkanya and
Gauri (where he cast the unknown Monica Desai in the lead). This was also Raj
Kapoor's first break as assistant director.

Sharma also made Mumtaz Mahal with Khorsheed and Chandra Mohan, Bhanwara with
Kundan Lal Saigal and Arun Kumar (present-day actor Govinda's father), and
Duniya Ek Sarai, where Meena Kumari got her break as a child artiste.

Finally, for Ranjit Studios, he made Jogan, a film starring Dilip Kumar and
Nargis that is considered an all-time classic. Buloo C Rani blossomed as a music
director in this movie.

In 1945, Sharma was chosen for the first film delegation to Hollywood and the
United Kingdom. On this trip he met Cecil B DeMille, Walter Disney and Gabriel
Paoal and stars like Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard.

On his return, he began working as an independent producer-director and signed
two unknowns in the lead -- Raj Kapoor (who had been working as an assistant to
him) and Madhubala, who was still a teenager -- for a movie called Neel Kamal.

In the late Fifties, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who had heard Sharma's lyrics,
summoned him and asked him to become director-in-chief of the Children's Film
Society. The first movie he made for the society, Jaldeep, won the Venice Film
Festival award.

In 1958, Kidar Sharma was asked by the Shaw Brothers of Singapore to come and
direct movies for them.

An outstanding poet, Sharma wrote most of the songs sung by the great K L
Saigal, including 'Balam aayo baso more man mein', 'Main kya jaanu kya jaadu
hai', 'So jaa raaj kumaari', 'Dukh kay ab din beetat nahi' and 'Panchhi kahye
hot udas'.

His other memorable songs include 'Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahi' and a song
that Madhubala once asked him to dedicate to her before she died: 'Radha ko no
tarsa, Shyam pachtayega'.

Kidar Sharma's talents also encompassed scripting and dialogue, making for deep
appreciation of the total visual and auditory impact that cinema truly is.